8 years gone by - RIP Bill Nic

[sweyid]

Today it's eight years since Bill Nicholson passed away. Glorious man.

 

[CosmicHotspur]

I have some wonderful memories of the man. He was known to be a bit of a disciplinarian but was always a fair and very kind man.

Stranded in The Strand at a John White memorial fund-raising evening at The Lyceum, he insisted that I wasn't going to wait for a bus late at night to get home but drove me right to my door.

I knew his daughters Jean and Linda way back then and we were all around the same age and I admit that I envied them a little for having Billy Nick as their dad (I think my own dad, being a stalwart Spurs supporter like me and as much as I loved him, would have understood why).

I really don't think there will ever be a manager of his high standards, principles and calibre at Tottenham, but football now is a very different game.

 

[lillywhites61]

I have some wonderful memories of the man. He was known to be a bit of a disciplinarian but was always a fair and very kind man.

Stranded in The Strand at a John White memorial fund-raising evening at The Lyceum, he insisted that I wasn't going to wait for a bus late at night to get home but drove me right to my door.

I knew his daughters Jean and Linda way back then and we were all around the same age and I admit that I envied them a little for having Billy Nick as their dad (I think my own dad, being a stalwart Spurs supporter like me and as much as I loved him, would have understood why).

I really don't think there will ever be a manager of his high standards, principles and calibre at Tottenham, but football now is a very different game.

I love to hear nostalgic stories like that, I'm so jealous sometimes that I didn't experience those glory days, it must have been amazing to see us at our very best, the best! And to have met and had a moment like that is something to treasure and shows the quality if the man, yes football has changed hugely, I like to think there are still some honourable people in football but its really the same now is it.

 

[Max_Junglie]

 

[Makkaveli101]

I wasn't old enough to witness Bill Nicholson as a manager. I think it's important any Spurs fan reads up on the bloke. He really did make our club what it is.

Unfortunately this thread won't be 20 pages long like other threads, but if only 1 out of 10 reads this, and then googles "Bill Nicholson" it will be well worth it.

 

[mattyspurs]

I wasn't old enough to witness Bill Nicholson as a manager. I think it's important any Spurs fan reads up on the bloke. He really did make our club what it is.

Unfortunately this thread won't be 20 pages long like other threads, but if only 1 out of 10 reads this, and then googles "Bill Nicholson" it will be well worth it.

Spot on

The man really was Mr Tottenham

 

[sweyid]

I wasn't old enough to witness Bill Nicholson as a manager. I think it's important any Spurs fan reads up on the bloke. He really did make our club what it is.

Unfortunately this thread won't be 20 pages long like other threads, but if only 1 out of 10 reads this, and then googles "Bill Nicholson" it will be well worth it.

He was way before my Tottenham years too, but he's such a massive part of the clubs history that it should almost be obligatory for any Spurs fan to know who Bill Nic was and what he has done for the club and the game itself. He was a true visionary.

When he comes on to the field (00:23) - goosebumps:

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Was driving home from uni to meet dad and go to the Bolton home game that morning when I heard the news on the radio. I wept for a man who in reality has no connection to me, I was born in 1985. Except he is connected to me, isn't he, because a large part of the man I am owes to what he created.

 

[Marty]

Way before my time, even slightly before my dad's time, his first football memory is watching the '67 cup final when he was about 6. Yet my dad was as shook up by Nicholson's passing as he's been for any of our family members.

It's impossible to state just how much Bill Nicholson did for our club, but he certainly did more than any other individual has in our entire history, save perhaps a few of those who formed the club 130 years ago.

 

[peter_the_yid]

Wow really 8 years, I can't believe that. I remember the announcement like it was yesterday.

 

[ostrov]

I hope current and future generations of Spurs players will be worthy of his memory.
Great Man!

 

[sammy j]

Just a great great Tottenham Hotspur man

 

[CosmicHotspur]

He deserved a knighthood more than many I can think of who have received one but I'd be willing to bet that he would have refused the honour. He was a modest man who would have thought himself not worthy of it but Sir Bill would have been a very apt and much deserved title for what he achieved.

 

[southlondonyiddo]

My Dad went up to his hotel room to deliver a message when they played away at Dukla Prague in 1962

My only memories of him were of him sitting in his vauxhall car sometimes (in the carpark in the school behind the East Stand) before the game and we'd say hello Mr Nicholson and he'd nod back to us

Gone but never to be forgotten

 

[parklane1]

Spot on

The man really was Mr Tottenham

Yes he was.

 

[JimmyG2]

William Edward "Bill" Nicholson OBE (26 January 1919 - 23 October 2004) was an English football player, coach, manager and scout who devoted his life to Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

Wikipedia gets it about right I think.

Could we not start referring to him on here as Sir William.
You never know it might catch on.

 

[Dare!]

R.I.P., Mr Tottenham.

 

[markiespurs]

Still remember hearing the news of Sir Bill Nicholson's sad passing on the radio while on the way to the Lane, can't believe it's been 8 years already.

 

[Kingstheman]

I love that line on my Tottenham Hotspur CD...


'Just one more tribute, so now let us call, on Mister Bill Nicholson, for making this year the Spurs happiest year of all' (Tip top Tottenham).

RIP Sir William.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Well maybe it's because of knowing Bill quite well that I respected him but did not revere him.

History has a way of creating legends but Bill was really an ordinary bloke.

Not putting him down at all but remember that in his time in charge he had the kind of advantage Manure, Chelski and Citeh enjoy today.

We were the Bank of England club and spent big on players.

As a player Bill lived over the road from us. A row of houses owned by the Club.

There were often parties but that wasn't quite Bill's style.

He was a personable bloke, ready to recognise you if you had a Spurs scarf on.

Bill basically carried on the tradition of Arthur Rowe, push and run.

He did embrace glory.

He did remain modest in success. He knew he was in the midst of something special but remained a good bloke just doing a job for the Club he grew to love and the fans thereof.